In fact, your overall feeling of health and well-being can change with just the flick of a switch.

Recent research highlighted by Philips Systems shows a significant link between light and circadian rhythms, otherwise known as the “built-in clocks” that determine your sleep cycle, stimulation, and relaxation.

Lighting has also been found to decrease depression and improve mood, energy, alertness, and productivity.

Given that a study conducted by the American Society of Interior Design revealed that 68 percent of employees complain about the lighting situation in their offices, how can businesses design their workspaces with lighting that delivers the optimal place for employees to think, create, and collaborate?

To learn more about the costs associated with not addressing lighting issues in the workplace, we turned to HOK, a top global design firm. Here are three examples of lighting projects HOK has designed that have provided lighting conducive for a productive workplace environment.

The Flexibility of Lighting Controls Affects Productivity

HOK transformed an abandoned 1930s power plant in Lansing, Michigan, into a new national headquarters for Accident Fund Holdings, Inc., in 2011.

There they installed lighting controls for individual workstations and shared multi-occupant stations. Natural daylight that flows through the building’s energy-efficient windows, which were also installed by HOK, allows electric lighting systems to be dimmed down.

“We have found, based on the work that we have done, that control of an environment, whether it be lighting or temperature, helps people feel better about their perceived productivity,” said Emily Dunn, a senior consultant based in HOK’s New York office.  This lighting flexibility allows employees to create the atmosphere they need to be productive at work.

Daylight Enhances Human Performance

In collaboration with Dechert Law Office in Washington, D.C., HOK designed a flexible environment that allows attorneys to practice law more productively. The design firm used glass partitions for all offices and soft indirect lighting to “create airy volumes that blur the distinction between interior and perimeter space.”

HOK also incorporated daylight features to help employees regulate their circadian rhythms. When these rhythms are offset, people experience stress, but a building that incorporates daylight can enhance human performance. In fact, a report by the World Green Building Council found that workers exposed to daylight are 18 percent more productive.

Lighting Design Depends on the Atmosphere You Want to Create

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution to lighting in the workplace. According to HOK Lighting Director Tom Kaczkowski, lighting design “depends on the atmosphere that we are trying to create within the work environment.”

In King Abdullah University of Science and Technology’s case, the graduate-level research university in Saudi Arabia wanted its interior to promote innovation and creativity. HOK delivered by tailoring each space to its intended use.

For example, the conference space was situated in a “shaded, passively cooled outdoor concourse” with a hint of sunlight to produce an inviting environment that keeps workers alert. The academic library, designated as a room to keep people relaxed, was fitted with warm lighting to instill a sense of comfort.

Smart organizations know that enhancing the performance of their people keeps companies growing and actively innovating. Thoughtful lighting design can be a powerful tool to increase employee performance. There are real costs associated with not addressing lighting issues at work and they could be fixed with the simple change of the bulb.

Article Provided By: business.com

Design Lighting Group offers a large variety of lighting systems, Decorative Fixtures, Recessed/Track, Outdoor Lighting, LED Lighting, Antiques, and more. If you would like to discuss your lighting needs please do not hesitate to call us at 404-351-5010 or                                                               email us at info@dlightinggroup.com.